ASUU strike: NANS blasts FG, threaten to shut down private universities

protest: Polytechnic students protesting against ongoing nationwide strike, on Ikorodu Road, Lagos, yesterday -(Vanguard)
File photo

University students under the umbrella of National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, yesterday, took to the streets in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State capital, calling on the Federal Government to accede to the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.

They equally threatened to shut down activities in the private universities in the country should the crisis linger on.

The students who displayed several placards with various inscriptions, lambasted the Federal Government for its failure to honour the agreement it entered into with ASUU since 2009.

Speaking on behalf of his colleagues, Asafon Sunday, Director of Action and Mobilisation NANS, South–West, claimed between 2000 and 2011 the Nigerian government earned about N48.48 trillion from the sale of oil alone, against N3.10 trillion earned between 1979 and 1999

He said the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, in 2012 financial year alone generated N5.12 trillion from tax paid by the masses.

According to him: “With this tremendous upswing in the revenue at the disposal of the Nigerian government, one would have expected such to translate to commensurate improvement in the quality of Nigeria’s public education as well as other social services.”

He condemned the refusal of Federal Government to budget a reasonable amount of money to education sector as recommended by UNESCO which is 26 per cent of the country’s total budget.

Sunday noted that some countries with smaller Gross Domestic Product, GDP, like Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Morocco and Botswana had budgetary allocations to education sector as follow, 31 per cent,20 per cent,23 per cent ,17.7 per cent and 19 per cent respectively to 8.5 per cent that Nigeria government had budgeted for education in 2013.

Also speaking, Steven Adara ,a student leader from Ekiti State University, EKSU , lamented that government officials and prominent Nigerians were not bothered about the crisis in the public universities because their children were in private schools overseas.

According to him: “We will mobilise and disrupt academic activities in the private universities because it is the sons and daughters of the rich that are in these schools.”

Read more: Nigerian Eye

Comments (6)

  1. imagine how they talk about development going on with PDP and ignore what’s going with ASUU am that frustrated that if someone ask me to do any illegal business i’d not hesitate you can condemn ladies prostituting their body for money but would commend politicians walking out on PDP F Y’ALL

  2. A day protest isn’t enough there is need for a consecutive and simultaneous protest nationwide for our grivieances be ventilated. The activities of FG is as a result of students consciousness.

  3. its really going out of hand. not until every universities in the country are shut down, the government wouldn't know its serious.

  4. Let revolution take place joor and all private institutions closed and abolished let only public school exist and who so wanna be in power must have their children schooling here in our public schools, imagine what the so called rotten leaders are earning self it is enough to settle every bill required by our institution talk less of what they embezzles! This people are bad influence upon our great nation and infact I wonder how they enter power without adequate screening and I believe if asked to defend their certificate most of them will fail because a good leader must value education and make it his priority to satisfy the institution this leaders are out to embezzle and upress us ni jor close private schools am joining this new development!

  5. You guys have my support. We need a revolution in Nigeria.
    Jonathan has proved himself as a WEAKLING & an UNDECIDED leader, if he can be called a leader.

  6. It is high time masses took their destiny in their hands as these so call leaders are mere politicians who think only about d next election.

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